Labor Day Blues
by Trivette Lover Heather
Summary: Another Year passes...another year of... R&R Bubba!


Labor Day Blues  
By: Trivette Lover Heather  
  
" Come on Nick!" Nash shouted towards his father's room.  
  
" All right, I'm coming!" Nick shouted back.  
  
Nash had started to pick up the fishing poles, tackle and bags and place them by the elevator.   
  
" Dad?" Nash was getting impatient.  
  
" Hold your horses son, I'm coming, I'm coming." Nick opened his door, walked toward the elevator and picked up a bag. Just then the phone rang. Nash and Nick shot each other a look.   
  
" Don't answer it Nash." Nick almost ordered.   
  
" I'm sure its nobody dad..." Nash walked towards the phone.  
  
" Son, I'm telling ya."  
  
" Don't worry." Nash picked up the phone. " Hello?"  
  
" Hey Nash, Its Harvey, sorry to bother you but something has come up."  
  
" I'm sure Joe can handle it harv."  
  
" Actually I called Joe and he said that you wouldn't mind."  
  
' I'm gonna kill him' Nash thought. " Better be good man."  
  
" Steve Thomas. He's out on parole."  
  
" What?" Nash made eye contact with Nick. Nick shook his head and put the bag back on the ground.   
" How in the hell is that possible? He's in for life."  
  
" Something about their being not enough cells or sentence shortened for good behavior. He's been out a couple of days."  
  
" A couple days! Why didn't I know about it?"  
  
" Joe just found out and said to call you right away."   
  
Nash sighed and placed his hand over his head. " Al right Harv, is Joe there right now?"  
  
" No, He's at home."  
  
" Ok, call him and tell him to meet me at the SIU in fifteen minutes, no later!"  
  
" Sure thing boss."  
  
" Thanks, see ya soon."  
  
" Later." Harvey replied. He hung up the line and dialed Joe's home right away.   
  
Nash shook his head as he hung up the phone. Nick had already started to put the poles and tackle back into the closet. He turned around and smiled.  
  
" Another day son." He said as he passed Nash and went into his room. The door closed.  
  
Nash shook his head. " I'm sorry Nick." He said to himself as he walked towards the elevator.   
  
SIU**  
  
Nash walked in, immediately greeted by his partner.   
  
" No fishing?" Joe asked.  
  
" No fishing." Nash echoed. He took off his sunglasses and placed them in his jacket. " So you just found out this morning?"  
  
" Yeah man, I'm sorry."  
  
" It's okay, we are gonna catch his ass jay walking and put him behind bars where he belongs."  
  
" You call Cassidy?"  
  
" No, she's out of town for the weekend. Thank god."  
  
" Well that's good."   
  
" Yeah, so is he back to his old tricks?"  
  
" Harvey's been looking down some leads but nothing so far."  
  
" Okay, how about his brother, Brad. That's where he was when we caught him the first time remember. Let's go check him out."  
  
" All right." Joe replied with a nod.   
  
Nash started towards Harvey's desk and told him where they were headed.   
  
Cuda**  
  
" What exactly are we gonna do when or if we find him?"  
  
" We are going to scare the shit out of him bubba."  
  
" Sounds like a plan." Joe smiled.   
  
" And a very good one I might add." Nash replied smiling.   
  
Nash stopped the cuda out side the driveway as they made their way towards the door.   
  
" Take the back." Nash patted Joe on the back and pointed.   
  
Nash slowly made his way up the steps and knocked on the door. He heard comotion and drew his weapon.   
  
" Who is it?"   
  
" Captain Bridges, SFPD, just want to talk Brad."  
  
" I don't want to talk, get the hell out of here."  
  
" Now bubba, no need to get rude. I'm asking nicely now, let me in or I won't be so nice."   
  
Nash heard footsteps and realized that Brad was no longer next to the door. He paced back in an attempt to brake down door. He heard gun shots. Joe! Nash kicked the door, gun drawn and ran towards the back to find no one in sight. Nash cautiously walked around the back of the house. " Joe! Damnit where are you?"  
Nash creeped around to the side of the house and with a sigh of relief saw Joe standing on the other corner. Nash walked over to his side and startled Joe.  
  
" Geez you scared the hell out of me Nash."  
  
" Scared the hell out of you? Why didn't you answer me when I was calling for ya?"  
  
" Does the element of surprise mean anything to you?"  
  
" Funny, what the hell are you waiting for anyway?"  
  
" I hit him in his leg, he's sitting behind his car."  
  
" Well I think he knows we are here bubba, so the surprise thing, it ain't gonna work." He smiled.  
  
" I'll go around and we'll corner him, try not to kill em, I want to talk to him."  
  
" I'll try!" Joe shook his head.   
  
Nash did as he said. As Joe stepped out so did Nash and urged Brad to put the gun down.   
  
" Why the hell should I?" His gun pointed at Joe.  
  
" You shoot him, I shoot you bubba! You give up the gun every one gets to live. Now those are the best odds you got man."  
  
Joe stood his ground. Nash wouldn't let him down.   
  
" He's gonna kill me anyway man..."  
  
" Who... Steve...?" Nash asked calmly.  
  
" Who else?"  
  
" We can help you! Just put your gun down and we'll take care of it." Nash motioned to Joe as he spoke.  
  
Brad took one last glance at Joe and shook his head. He laid his gun on the hood of the car and knelt back down. Joe immediately ran over and grabbed the gun while Nash holstered his gun and knelt next to Brad. He placed a hand on his shoulder using the other to dial an ambulance.  
  
" You're ok man, You're ok." Nash repeated shooting Joe a glance.   
  
The ambulance arrived within minutes. Nash followed to County General anticipating their chat with Brad. Joe could tell how ambitious Nash was to get Thomas behind bars. Years before Thomas had tried to rape Cassidy and when Nash brought him in, it turned out there were various warrants for his arrest in murder and rape cases alike. It took Cassidy a long time to recuperate and Nash was with her every step of the way. He would never forget what he had done to his daughter. He swore to her that he would never hurt anyone again. He had to find him and put him behind bars again before he hurt again. His brother Brad had been the one who set up Steve for Nash to get him.   
  
" You ok bubba?" Joe asked looking at his partner.   
  
" Yeah I'm fine, just a little anxious is all. I still can't believe they let this guy out. We just gotta find him fast. He already has a couple day head start!"  
  
" We'll find em like we did before, we always do!" He smiled.   
  
" I sure as hell hope your right"  
  
" I'm right!" He laughed.   
  
Nash parked the cuda.   
  
" Shall we see how our little buddy Brad is doing?"  
  
" Oh yes!" Joe replied.  
  
They waited about twenty minutes until Brad had been placed in a room.   
  
" So..." Nash said as he pulled up a chair and sat next to his bed.  
  
" So?" Brad asked.   
  
" So..." Joe repeated for good humor.   
  
Nash laughed. " What the heck is this a choir practice? Now, Brad you know what we need to know so the sooner you tell us the sooner we get you protection from your bro."  
  
" Ha, you cant protect me from him, he's crazy man."  
  
" Okay!" Nash got up and started to walk out with Joe. Nash winked at Joe.  
  
" Wait, wait, okay, okay come back! What do you want to know?"  
  
" Now that's a good boy, where is he?"  
  
" Right now, I don't know but he called me and said he was coming over around 7 to forgive me for what I did."   
  
" Well then bubba, looks like we need to get you home and fast...Nurse?"   
  
Nash and Joe drove Brad back to his place. On the way they called Harvey and told him to round up some boys for back up just in case. Nash and Joe derived a plan. They knew that Thomas was coming to not only forgive Brad but to put him out of his misery. Brad was to stay seated at the kitchen table until Steve made his move. They would move in the instant he did. There was a risk involved but it had to be done.   
  
Nash heard Steve pulling up and signaled for every one to get ready.   
  
" Hey little bro... did ya miss me?"  
  
" Not particularly no"  
  
" Now Brad, is that the way to treat your own brother who you put in prison?"  
  
" I didn't put you there, I just helped it along. You're crazy."  
  
" Ha, you haven't even seen crazy yet bro." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. He made a move for Brad but was quickly held up.  
  
" SFPD Thomas... put it down or your history."  
  
" Bridges, how nice to see you again. Too bad I couldn't find your daughter because she was the first on my list."  
  
" Just give me a reason man." Nash stood gun drawn, his finger trembling over the trigger.   
  
" And give you the satisfaction of knowing you got rid of me, never." He placed the blade on the ground. Joe immediately threw him to the ground and read him his rights. Nash slowly started to put his gun back in the holster when he saw Thomas reach in his coat as Joe began to search him. Thomas turned around and pointed the gun in Joe's stomach. BOOM! Two shots rang out.   
  
Thomas fell to the ground. A look of relief and fear fell from both Nash and Joe's faces. Joe nodded to Nash in thanks and received a smile back from his partner. It was over. Thomas wasn't going to hurt anyone again.   
  
Cuda**  
  
" So you think you can still make the fishing trip with Nick?"  
Joe asked.  
  
" I'm sure as hell gonna try, I'm wore out man."  
  
" Just another hard day at work eh?"  
  
" You can say that again."   
  
Joe looked around.  
" Why is like every thing closed today man?"  
  
" Bubba, you're not serious?"  
  
" What?" Joe asked confused.  
  
" It's Labor Day man!" Nash laughed raising a hand in the air.   
  
" Labor day... oh... yeah the day that you take off work for no reason at all."  
  
" Are you telling me you didn't know today was Labor Day?"  
  
" I guess I'm just in denial."  
  
" Haha, we go through it every year man..."  
  
" What's that?"  
  
" The Labor Day Blues Brother... The Labor Day blues." Nash laughed.   
  
  



End file.
